The National Democratic Congress (NDC) Minority Caucus in Ghana’s legislature are wishing the country’s representatives in the upcoming Africa Games, Accra 2023 the best of luck as they fly the national flag in the continental sports fiesta.
Pointing out that their administration first initiated the bid to host the Africa Games nine years ago whilst they were in power, the Minority hailed the historic staging of the event for the first time by this country, but believe that it must propel the hosting of much bigger global events
“In 2015, when Team Ghana were preparing for participation at the 11th All-Africa Games in Brazzaville, Congo from 4 to 19 September 2015, the then Minister of Youth and Sports, the late Major (rtd) Dr. Mustapha Ahmed on the instructions of H.E. John Dramani Mahama, engaged a consultant to work on Ghana securing the rights to host the 12th Africa Games in 2019,” said the statement signed by Hon. Kobena Mensah Woyome, Ranking Member, Committee on Youth, Sport and Culture of Ghana’s Parliament.
“However, before any progress could be made towards securing the right to be hosts, Morocco were given the rights to host and organise the renamed Africa Games in Rabat from 19 to 31 August, 2019,” the statement went on.
“In October 2016, the then Minister for Youth and Sports, Hon. Nii Lante Vanderpujie, MP received an invitation for Ghana to host and organise the 13th Africa Games 2023 and for which he engaged the services of a consultant to prepare the bid document for the Games, which was duly submitted in the same month at the African Union (AU) Secretariat in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia,” it added.
“After the 2016 Ghana general elections, and the appointment of a new Minister of Youth and Sports, Hon. Isaac Asiamah, MP, the same consultant was engaged in 2018 to re-submit a revised Ghana bid for the 13th edition of the Africa Games 2023,” the statement explained further.
“At the Technical Committee on Youth, Culture and Sports Meeting in Algiers,
Ghana secured the rights by acclamation, after a spirited fight by Egypt for the
same rights to test its new sport facilities”
Hon. Kwabena Woyome is the MP for Dabala in the Volta Region
Now as the competition looks set to commence following a plea by the Ghanaian Local Organising Committee (LOC) for postponement of the initially scheduled 2023 timelines, the Minority are tasking not just the athletes to make the country proud, but the administrators to also use it as a stepping stone to the very top.
“On the eve of the official opening ceremony of the 13th Africa Games in Ghana this Friday, 8th March, 2023, I, on my own behalf and that of the NDC Minority Caucus in Parliament, wish Team Ghana the best of participation,” Mr. Woyome said.
“Knowing that the hosting and organisation is not only historic, from the standpoint of facilitating our desire towards African unity, but that the hosting of an Olympic Games should be our next target in the not too foreseeable future. Long Live Ghana, Long Live Africa Games, Long Live African Unity,” he concluded.
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